Well, I went and did it! Made my first 100% Buckwheat show mead. Fermented for 2 weeks and 5 days. Racked and stabilized yesterday at SG 1.020 and about 13-14% alcohol and I am drinking a glass this minute recovered from the bottom that I put in the refrigerator over night to clear. Poured off clear top into glass and I must say, I am surprised. No barnyard taste. No barnyard smell. Went away during fermentation. This is good stuff for a straight mead. Got to cast away all my preconceived and erroneous perceptions based upon research and reading about this great honey. For all of you out there that have been staying away from it because of all of the negative plublicized data given from individuals, including myself as a guilty party passing along fables and fairy tales helping to propagate this lie. I now sit reconciled with my ignorance and testify that this is one fantastic varietal honey that makes an excellent mead drinkable in a short time. It was of course made according to no heat, no boil, no nutrient added methods. Even my wife said not bad and it as yet had no age time. The moral of this story... Accept no data as truth until you try it for yourself. Next batch, same recipe, different yeast.
Experience life.... Experiment with Mead,
Joe

Oskaar

10-02-2004, 11:35 PM

That's great news :D

I have a one gallon bucket of Western Buckwheat Flower honey, sage and clover that I got last week to use in some blends that I'll be making this month. I'm going to Yucaipa, CA on Monday to get some apple cider and cherry cider, and some more of the local honey there.

I was going to get them in Julian, CA but I spoke with my buddy who lives in Yucaipa, CA and he says he has "Da Bomb Hook-up" for me so I'm going to go with his recommendation.

I'm entering the realm of some more experimental meads this month based on some porter and stout recipes I used to make. Which is why I'm blending so many honeys. I'll keep you all informed of how things work out.

Cheers,

Oskaar

WikdWaze

10-05-2004, 05:08 PM

Judging from the taste of the buckwheat I have on the shelf, it should turn out a stunning mead. I swear I've never tasted a more "honey-like" honey in my life.

Jmattioli

10-05-2004, 05:37 PM

Yes, I think it is one of the Bee's best kept secrets. I Use a little in all my meads. It blends well and adds a honey complexity to other honeys.
Joe

WikdWaze

10-05-2004, 05:59 PM

I'm curious, what was the starting SG? Did it finish very sweet? I see the final SG, but I have no idea how that translates into sweetness. Also, how much honey did you use? That is the same ABV I want from mine, and it seems your show mead may be a good prediction of what my braggot will turn out like, at least as far as the numbers go.

Jmattioli

10-05-2004, 10:42 PM

I'm curious, what was the starting SG? Did it finish very sweet? I see the final SG, but I have no idea how that translates into sweetness. Also, how much honey did you use? That is the same ABV I want from mine, and it seems your show mead may be a good prediction of what my braggot will turn out like, at least as far as
Secret Recipe ;)
3 lb per gallon Buckwheat
.6t Grape Tannin
K1V-1116
tap water

No boil, no sulfite, no nutrients

Well, I did put a pinch of epsom salt since my water is not extremely hard.
Starting SG ~1.120 - 1.130 Calculations only
I stopped it and stabilized at 1.020. That is considered low end of a sweet showmead, (Ken's book) sweet but not desert. It would have continued but that is where I like it. ABV 13-14% BRIX 5
Might even have been better stopping at 12-13% and 1.025-1.030
Trying another with D47 yeast. That should stop automatically and not require stabilization.

Joe

WikdWaze

10-06-2004, 02:40 AM

Too simple, you have to throw some more stuff in there to make it interesting ;D

That gives me a very good idea of what to expect. I'll have an extra pound of fermentables (not honey) and some non-fermentable ingredients which will effect things, but at least I know generally what to look for.

I think I'll have to borrow this recipe when I decide to make a show mead myself. It's nice having access to a proven recipe using my favorite honey.

Jmattioli

10-06-2004, 04:51 AM

If you are using something other than K1V, you may need some minimal nutrients. K1V does well just using hard water as I listed above but other yeasts may stick in my experience without some added nutrients.
Joe

WikdWaze

10-06-2004, 04:57 PM

If you are using something other than K1V, you may need some minimal nutrients. K1V does well just using hard water as I listed above but other yeasts may stick in my experience without some added nutrients.
Joe
I'll be using D-47 for my recipe, as per your suggestion. With malted grain (65% wheat, 35% barley), oats, and rye all in the mix, nutrients should not be an issue.

When I get around to copying yours, I'll probably use the K1V, no sense messing with perfection ;D I might have to feed it more honey, I'm not sure I'd bother stopping it. I know that goes against your normal procedure, but I'd like to see what difference it made. We could compare notes.

Jmattioli

10-06-2004, 07:52 PM

D47 should stop itself with good residual sweetness as it has a lower alcohol tolerance than K1V. Also well noted that you probably have more than enough nutrients in your ingredients. I was referring to a straight mead with D47 and less than extremely hard water.
Joe

WikdWaze

10-07-2004, 02:43 AM

I suspected that's what you were talking about, but thought I'd cover all the bases. That's also why I'd stick with the K1V with the show mead, since it handles low nutrients.

Jmattioli

10-07-2004, 03:36 AM

Its 3 weeks now and the buckwheat is clear and bright brown with a REDDISH TINT. I started to bottle but decided that it needs to be degassed first. So I will just let it sit for a while but another taste proved mighty promising. Will start the same with D47 tomorrow but I will add just a smigion 1/8t of Fermax/gal for this yeast. I'll post the differences when done.
Joe

It fermentented to 1.005. Too dry for me. Sweetened up and Stabilized. So far the K1 V taste was better but that might be because it was sweeter . This was dryer and had a bit more alcohol taste. Not balanced yet. K1 V was good without aging. This one needs a bit to round off alcohol.

Joe

Cartierusm

10-31-2004, 12:40 AM

I can't log in for some reason. Anyway, Jmattioli, what kind of stabalizer do you use? and how much for a 5 gallon batch?

Jmattioli

10-31-2004, 01:30 AM

I can't log in for some reason. Anyway, Jmattioli, what kind of stabalizer do you use? and how much for a 5 gallon batch?
Potassium Sorbate, as recommended on container which mine presently says 1/4t per gallon. Some say 1/2t per gallon on the container.
Then I also add equivalent of 1 Campden tablet at same time but of Postassium Meatabisufite instead of the tablet which is usually sodium metabisufite. Multiply that by 5 for 5 gallons.
Joe